Two Navy admirals have been placed on temporary leave after their access to classified materials was suspended. This comes as part of a growing investigation into allegations that Naval officers illegally accepted bribes from a military contractor.

Vice Adm. Ted Branch, director of naval intelligence, and Rear
Adm. Bruce Loveless, director of intelligence operations, were
reported on Friday to be part of an ongoing probe after they were
each accused of having illegal and improper relations with
Leonard Francis, CEO of Glenn Defense Marine.

“The suspension was deemed prudent given the sensitive nature
of their current duties and to protect and support the integrity
of the investigative process,” a Navy statement
announced.

“The allegations against Admirals Branch and Loveless involve
inappropriate conduct prior to their current assignments and flag
office rank. There is no indication, nor to the allegations
suggest, that in either case there was any breach of classified
information.”

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) began its
investigation in 2010. While a Navy spokesman maintained neither
has been charged with a crime or service violation, the US
attorney’s office in San Diego, California has charged Loveless
and Branch with passing along classified information, according
to the Washington Post.

Branch and Loveless join Commanders Jose Luiz Sanchez, Michael
Vannak Khem Misiewiz, and NCIS Supervisory Special Agent John
Beliveau as subjects of the NCIS investigation into corruption
and bribery at the Navy’s Singapore outpost.

Each of the three senior officials have been arrested because of
their alleged dealings with the man known as “Fat Leonard.”
Prosecutors say the Malaysian businessman used his personal
connections to bribe Navy officers with prostitutes, luxury
travel accommodations, Lady Gaga concert tickets, and $100,000,
among others.

Leonard is accused of using these favors to persuade officers
into providing insight on upcoming law enforcement probes and
contract reviews. He is especially known for the lavish Christmas
parties he has thrown every year, decorating his 70,000 Singapore
home with decorations so outlandish that spectators would
visit.

“He’s a larger-than-life figure,” retired Rear Adm. Terry
McKnight told Fox News. “You talk to any captain on any ship
that has sailed in the Pacific and they will know exactly who he
is.”

Francis and Glenn Defense Marine are also accused of defrauding
the Navy out of more than $10 million by overcharging for fuel,
tugboats, docking, sewage disposal, and many other
services.

“It’s pretty big when you have one person who can dictate
where ships are going to go and being influenced by a
contractor,” McKnight said. “A lot of people are saying
how could this happen?”

Sanchez and Misiewicz are believed to have begun notifying Glenn
Defense Marine of Navy ship activity in 2009 and continuing to do
so until April of this year. Beliveau is accused of ferrying
information to Francis even after the Navy investigation started
and may have given “Fat Leonard” advice on how to answer
questions.

Misiewicz was already well-known before he was apprehended by law
enforcement. As a child the future Navy Cmdr. was rescued from a
violent region of Cambodia and given a new life by an American
woman. His emotional return to the region in 2010 was the subject
of international media coverage.

Yet prosecutors say Francis was already reengaged in a heated
recruitment effort with Misiewicz in his sights. Misiewicz
allegedly accepted tickets to a theater production of “The Lion
King” in Tokyo and was soon referring to Francis as “Big Brother”
in personal emails.

The charged defendants could be sentenced to five years in prison
if found guilty of conspiracy to commit bribery. Francis is being
held without bail.

Exactly how Loveless and Branch may have known Francis is not
clear, but both officers had stints in the Pacific during their
careers. Branch previously served as assistant to the commander
of the Pacific fleet before he was promoted to vice admiral in
February. Loveless held a command position at the Joint
Intelligence Operations Center at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii from 2009
to 2012.

The Washington Post previously reported that the Navy terminated
$200 million in contracts with the company in September of this
year.